There is growing interest in psychedelic therapies as a way to treat addiction disorders and depression. At the University of Melbourne, Daniel Perkins has been leading an international team’s first studies looking at ayahuasca and mental health. So far, they have had some interesting results.
Ayahuasca is a drink brewed from plants, traditionally used by Amazonian tribes for spiritual and religious purposes. Increasingly, the strongly flavoured hallucinogenic brew is being used by people on a journey of self-discovery, personal growth or healing. Ayahuasca tourists travel to such places as Costa Rica for luxury retreats where they can be both pampered and guided through a ritual using the tea, which contains a hallucinogen known as DMT.
Perkins started researching with psychedelics back in 2015. “There were a lot of anecdotal reports and I wanted to understand whether ayahuasca really was this miracle cure, as it was being described, or whether it was a lot of hype, with a placebo effect from having these intense experiences with a group of people in the middle of the Amazon jungle.”
Perkins and colleagues from five countries ran the Global Ayahuasca Survey, which asked nearly 11,000 people from more than 50 nations about their experiences of drinking the tea and how it affected them.
Most did not have a particularly pleasant time. Vomiting and nausea were experienced by 62% of participants, headaches by 17.8% and abdominal pain by 12.8%. Many also reported adverse mental-health effects – most commonly hearing and seeing things, but also feeling disconnected or alone, having nightmares and disturbing thoughts.
Esta historia es de la edición January 3-13 2023 de New Zealand Listener.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición January 3-13 2023 de New Zealand Listener.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.